IPA 007
Gruff Brewing

Poured from 12oz can into a dimpled mug. Canned 8/18/25.

Appearance: medium golden hue with a moderate haze and a thick head of frothy ivory foam atop.

Smell: malt is a bit on the sweet side and has a little toasty character; hops are a mix of pine and citrus, particularly lemon. Kind of a pine-sol aroma, but not in a bad way.

Taste: toasty and a bit sweet, like the aroma, with more of that pine and citrus hop flavor. Bitterness is a bit on the high side. It's not bad, though not my favorite IPA.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a decent carbonation and creaminess.

Overall: a pretty decent IPA. I wouldn't make it my go-to but I can drink it in a pinch.

Crystal clear dark orange brew with fine-grained cream-colored foam in the chalice. Big aroma of orange peel and mango with a whiff of pine. Lush and sudsy mouthfeel. Malty with dark flavors, lemon rind, and moderate bitter edge. This is a more complex flavor than a lot of hoppy brews. Seems to be fruity and resiny at the same time, with a cedar aftertaste that is quite aromatic. From the 12 oz can purchased at Elizabeth Station. No date, but the bottom stamp says "I've soared with the eagles and slithered with the snakes." Truth!

Poured from a growler into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a medium golden amber with a fine, two finger white head with great retention and thick lacing. Aroma of mildly caramel malt, citrus hops, lemon, grapefruit, hints of tropical fruit. Flavor follows, with pale and mildly caramel malt, citrus hops, lemon, grapefruit, light suggestions of tropical and light stone fruit. Medium bodied with light creaminess and sharp carbonation. A nice, expertly hopped IPA, with mostly citrus flavors, but with other fruit flavors faintly collaborating. I got to taste this against Gruff's Trash Bird, the other IPA on the menu. I liked the stronger malt body of the Trash Bird, but really liked the bright hop flavors of this one better and brought it home. After the taster, I asked if there was any fresh hopping involved with this, but they had just run out of their fresh hop IPA. The body of this leans more towards a pale ale style, but the hops are spot on IPA. The citrus flavors are not complex, but tasted fresh and inviting. I liked this. The current version is listed as 6.2% on the menu, so perhaps it has been dialed in a bit from earlier versions.

Served in shaker pint glass. Pours a hazy orange-gold color with about a half-inch of of white head that had moderate retention and good lacing.

The aroma is mostly classic citrus hops over a light grain base. The flavor profile is very similar, with the crisp, tart hops being highlighted.

The body is fairly typical for the style, carries the carbonation across the tongue lively, and has a dry finish. Drinkability is very good, this is probably the beer I've had the most of from this brewery, so it certainly holds up to repeated quaffs. Overall, a very nice take on the standard "American" IPA. Probably the closest thing this brewery has to a "Flagship" beer, so it's worth grabbing a pint.